"stalky" for "stocky"

Here’s a slight variation I stumbled upon today: “I can look past the fact that Hugh Jackman is too tall and not stalky enough, but I just don’t buy into him as a tough guy.” (from a discussion about Jackman’s playing Wolverine, a stockily-built comics character, on the Rotten Tomatoes movie website)

A questionable candidate for Eggcornicity, to my way of thinking, because the actual meanings of “stalky” and “stocky” are practically exact opposites! By extension, I’m not at all sure that “stalk” for “stock”, as mentioned above, should be in the Eggcorn Database. To think that some of my far superior eggcorn suggestions are ignored by the powers that be while questionable eggcorns like this are enshrined on the official eggcorn list—preposterous! Sputterrantwhinechoke!!!!! (falls on floor, twitching)...

Re: "stalky" for "stocky"

I like stalky for stocky, Dixon. We can either put it in the snuff box of those substitutions that are complete contradictions, or more reasonably, assume that the perps are thinking of sturdy, stocky stalks.

I see that this entry is in Eggcornology, so I guess I should eggcornologize. I’ve never been overly disturbed by the distinction between the forum and the database. I can understand that those with the skeleton keys to the hermitically sealed database don’t have time to sort through all the asundery1 and assordid2 posts on this forum, and document and format them all nicely. They use the database as a kind of secret door into the forum to submit the occasional contender without great fanfare. I’m a Database descriptivist I guess. Without, I hope, being compleasant3.

[1]

I know, Conservatives ( and there for Republicans) are a threat to peace and will cause killings and other asundery mayhem.Political forum

It’s true, the Conservatives are there for Republicans.

[2]

Looking for a rare bullfighter movie w/Luciana Paluzzi called Wounds of Hunger. Good LORD! If I can find Disco Fever w/Fabian, and other
assordid titles, why can’t I find Wounds of Hunger? Old movies forum

Re: "stalky" for "stocky"

Quite frankly (to use that other verbal badge of politicianhood), it’s true I spend far more time at this than is normal or healthy (I already have glasses; can I stop when I need a stronger prescription?). I’m with you on the goodness of compleasant as an eggcorn. I submitted it in a reply for a couple of reasons. First, to create the impression that I toss aside great eggcorns casually, without a care in the world. Second, because using it in a reply comes with no obligation to document or elucidate it. Without looking into it, the etiology of the word complacent seemed confusing, if not fraught. Sleuthery shows that it has coexisted alongside complaisant for hundreds of years, while undergoing changes in meaning. Further, it coexists in my head with the French form, complaisant, which makes compleasant a no-brainer. I venture into the Eggcornology forum only with trepidation, bearing in mind the inscription at Frank Sinatra’s gate.